German Names in America!

General Name Discussion
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[name_f]Every[/name_f] once in a while I stumble across [name_f]Heidi[/name_f] or [name_f]Gretchen[/name_f] or [name_m]Wolfgang[/name_m] on people’s list and they still surprise me.
They seem to be quite liked in the US. Not by everyone and not every name but there seem to be more [name_f]Heidi[/name_f]'s born in the US than in Germany the last couple of decades.

Of course we do have classics that, while old, are still being used here, [name_f]Amalia[/name_f], [name_f]Frieda[/name_f], [name_m]Johann[/name_m] or [name_f]Mathilda[/name_f] are some but interestingly our classics are ranked much lower in the USA than names like [name_f]Heidi[/name_f] or [name_m]Hans[/name_m], that might be used as middle names here but rarely as firsts.

[name_m]Just[/name_m] to make it even more clear what I mean:
[name_f]Mathilda[/name_f], [name_f]Amalia[/name_f], [name_f]Frieda[/name_f] or [name_m]Johann[/name_m] would compare to [name_f]Rose[/name_f], [name_f]Katherine[/name_f], [name_f]Violet[/name_f] and [name_m]William[/name_m] in terms of being classics.
[name_f]Heidi[/name_f], [name_f]Gretchen[/name_f] or [name_m]Wolfgang[/name_m] would be [name_u]America[/name_u]'s [name_f]Shirley[/name_f], [name_f]Brenda[/name_f] and [name_m]Larry[/name_m].

(Oh and btw when [name_m]German[/name_m] parents use American names they usually belong to famous people but those names don’t have a very good reputation here).

Why do you think [name_u]America[/name_u] prefers those names? Which [name_m]German[/name_m] names have you considered, do you like and why?

If you’re not American, please join in anyway :slight_smile:

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I know a toddler named Johanna… always makes me think of Johanna Spyri, author of the book Heidi.
I also know a girl about 13 years of age named Gretchen… and there is that horrible Country music star.
I knew 2 girls named Heidi growing up. One is about 27, the other is probably 21.
I also know a Jocelyn, about age 35.

I would categorize all these names as “innocent.” I think to many Americans, these names seem to have a certain sweetness, purity, and sincerity. They sound to us Americans like a little Fraulein who lives up in the mountains or out on the meadows, and has little life experience but a heart of gold… these are ‘good girl’ names. They seem poplar among the blue collar crowd here, perhaps because they reflect the traits of docility, traditional femininity, and innocence that the parents would like their daughter to project.
Why are these rather clunky names so popular here? I don’t know. I personally can’t stand Heidi or Gretchen or Jocelyn.
Nor do I care for Ida, Kurtis, Otis, Pippin, Henry, Axel, Gunther, or Clarissa. All names which tend to be popular where I live.

German names I like include Ada, Adelia, Albert, Amelia, Barrett, Belinda, Clotilde, Dieter, Ernest, Elke, Ferdinand, Gertrude, Heinrich, Hilda, Leonhard, Liesl, Loudon, Mathilda, Millie, Millicent, and Raymond. They strike me as much more genteel.
Any one have any opinions on my view? How would my list of German favorites be viewed by an individual from Germany?
PS My sister is in Freiburg im Breisgau right now, studying abroad!

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Edited for privacy.

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(Oh and btw when German parents use American names they usually belong to famous people but those names don’t have a very good reputation here).

^^Like what? I want to know :slight_smile:

If I were to choose a [name_m]German[/name_m] girls name (I pulled up a list I found) I would choose:

[name_f]Mallory[/name_f] (I love the tv show Family [name_m]Ties[/name_m])
[name_f]Carly[/name_f]
[name_u]Allison[/name_u]

Which totally sound like a typical “American” name to me :slight_smile: I am definitely not a fan of [name_f]Gretel[/name_f] or [name_f]Hazel[/name_f] and the whatnot.

Are the names I listed popular over there or are they unpopular?

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[name_m]Wolfgang[/name_m], [name_f]Heidi[/name_f] and [name_f]Gretchen[/name_f] feel quite “hip” to me. I might be biased, as [name_m]Wolfgang[/name_m] is one of my favorites. You usually see artsy types naming their kids [name_f]Ingrid[/name_f] or [name_m]Otto[/name_m] here in the US. They’re not your every day names. Many parents probably choose something like [name_m]Felix[/name_m] after searching endlessly for a unique name that their kid will love wearing. That’s my best guess.

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[name_f]Ada[/name_f], [name_f]Amelia[/name_f], [name_f]Millie[/name_f] and especially [name_f]Mathilda[/name_f] would totally be on the list of [name_m]German[/name_m] parents nowadays. I actually have a little sister with the latter name :slight_smile:

[name_f]Adelia[/name_f], [name_m]Ferdinand[/name_m] & [name_m]Leonhard[/name_m] are also chosen by parents here, just not as much. They have a more aristocratic vibe.

[name_f]Belinda[/name_f], [name_u]Barrett[/name_u], [name_m]Loudon[/name_m], [name_f]Millicent[/name_f] and [name_m]Raymond[/name_m] - I’ve never heard of them being categorized as [name_m]German[/name_m] names and never encountered a person with any of these names here.

[name_m]Albert[/name_m], [name_m]Ernest[/name_m], [name_f]Elke[/name_f], [name_f]Gertrude[/name_f], [name_m]Heinrich[/name_m], [name_f]Hilda[/name_f] and [name_f]Liesl[/name_f] are all very old, unfashionable names rather than (vintage) classics.

[name_f]Clotilde[/name_f] - has the [name_m]German[/name_m] word for toilet in it (Klo) so very few people choose it.
[name_m]Dieter[/name_m] - we have a very awful person on tv called [name_m]Dieter[/name_m] Bohlen who’s a judge on the [name_m]German[/name_m] version of American Idol. To me he’s a total idiot but some people like him. The name is popular in his generation (50+) but hasn’t been used a lot since then.

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We actually have a word for names that seem to only be chosen by people who are living off Welfare, sit in front of the tv all day and only eat fast food- that are generally seen as low class. I’m not saying it’s right but these names are classified under the term Kevinismus.

[name_m]Kevin[/name_m] is the major Kevinismus name ([name_f]Chantal[/name_f] is the other) as there seemed to have been a very popular [name_m]Kevin[/name_m] in the 80s/90s. Other names would be [name_m]Justin[/name_m], [name_m]Jason[/name_m], [name_u]Tyler[/name_u], [name_u]Cheyenne[/name_u], [name_u]Ashley[/name_u], [name_f]Mandy[/name_f], [name_f]Angelina[/name_f], [name_u]Maurice[/name_u].

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That’s what I thought. I imagine people want to honor their heritage and look for the most german names they can find, of course you’re going to end up with a [name_f]Gretel[/name_f] rather than an [name_f]Emma[/name_f].
I think for me it’s hard to grasp as some of those names are so [name_m]German[/name_m] that I would expect anyone else to think that the kid is [name_m]German[/name_m], can speak the language, etc.
I believe it feels to me like naming my kids [name_m]Juan[/name_m] [name_m]Pablo[/name_m] or [name_u]Madison[/name_u] [name_f]Kaylee[/name_f] here when they barely have any connections to Spain or [name_u]America[/name_u] (I could somehow pull of [name_m]Juan[/name_m] [name_m]Pablo[/name_m] but my kid would hate me).

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With most names very tied to one ethnicity, I’m generally quite mindful of how they’re perceived in the country of origin… there are lots of names which people love on NB that aren’t usable in their home country - for example, [name_f]Genevieve[/name_f] is considered middle aged in [name_f]France[/name_f], and [name_f]Bridget[/name_f] is very dated in [name_f]Ireland[/name_f].

But I think if I really adored the name, it just wouldn’t bother me what another group of people thought; especially if my child would rarely (if ever) interact with them. [name_f]Jemima[/name_f] is considered totally unusable in [name_u]America[/name_u] (cultural history) but living in [name_m]Britain[/name_m] I just don’t care. Likewise, [name_f]Gemma[/name_f] is dated in the UK but most US berries who like it don’t really care. What it boils down to is the environment the name will actually be used in.

I do entirely understand what you mean, it must be kind of amusing (even irritating) to hear names you consider dated suggested for babies and considered trendy/stylish. Part of what I love about Nameberry is the cultural diversity though.

As for names I think of as [name_m]German[/name_m] - [name_f]Liesel[/name_f], I admit I do like that one (although I mentioned it to a [name_m]German[/name_m] teenage boy I know and he was like ‘‘um, that’s not a [name_m]German[/name_m] name’’, he’d literally never heard of it). Also names with a K; [name_f]Karla[/name_f], [name_f]Klara[/name_f], [name_f]Krista[/name_f], [name_f]Katya[/name_f], [name_f]Kamilla[/name_f]. And then things like; [name_f]Gretel[/name_f], [name_f]Marlene[/name_f], [name_f]Magda[/name_f], [name_f]Mitzi[/name_f], [name_f]Anya[/name_f], [name_f]Elske[/name_f], Gerdie/[name_f]Gertrude[/name_f]/[name_f]Trudie[/name_f] (sort of like this too, it’s a family name), [name_f]Greta[/name_f], [name_f]Lotte[/name_f], Irmingard, [name_f]Sabine[/name_f], [name_f]Ottilie[/name_f] - I’ve heard the comment that [name_f]Ottilie[/name_f]/[name_f]Ottilia[/name_f] are dated in Germany too? Is that correct?

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[name_f]Heidi[/name_f]'s at 88 in Australia I think it’s just because we have a love of nickname names here. [name_f]Matilda[/name_f]'s a top 20 name and I’m sure there would be [name_f]Mathilda[/name_f]'s but I have never met a [name_f]Gretchen[/name_f] just two [name_f]Greta[/name_f]'s. I love [name_f]Amalia[/name_f] but [name_f]Amelia[/name_f]'s really popular here. I do know an Ingrid who’s 16.

[name_f]Gemma[/name_f], Rhiannon and Bronwyn are examples of dated Australian names that I see on American berries lists, I know 5 Gemma’s the oldest born in the 80’s and the youngest in 2004, Rhiannon made the top 100 in the 90’s and Bronwyn in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. I think it just depends on the person to many Australian’s [name_f]Heidi[/name_f] is a cutesy name like [name_f]Ellie[/name_f], [name_f]Lily[/name_f] and [name_f]Elsie[/name_f] while having literacy cred. [name_f]Mathilda[/name_f] is exactly like [name_f]Matilda[/name_f] and is the middle name of a half Australian Danish princess (One of the most publicised royals here).

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I can’t think of anyone I know with a very [name_m]German[/name_m] sounding name except for my cousin [name_f]Heidi[/name_f]. She’s a year younger than me, and because we grew up together, I don’t find the name strange for an English speaking child. (I live in Australia, btw.)

Oh, that reminds me, I do know an [name_f]Ingrid[/name_f], but she is an older lady who was born in [name_u]Holland[/name_u] and came over here when she was quite young.

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That’s interesting. I can see what you mean, people just don’t always know the trends in the other country or language. [name_f]My[/name_f] family and social circle include a lot of immigrants, who have names that are very dated or clunky- e.g. I know teenagers/young adults named [name_u]Joyce[/name_u], [name_f]Karen[/name_f], [name_f]Sharon[/name_f], and [name_f]Eunice[/name_f]. A lot of their parents don’t speak English very well and/or weren’t aware of the connotations behind the names. This also leads to names like Genuine or [name_f]Happy[/name_f].

opheliaflora- What are some names commonly used in Germany today that feel very [name_m]German[/name_m] and/or get minimal use in other countries?

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I’v never heard of an [name_f]Ottilie[/name_f] here but I think it would fall under the category of never being uber-popular so it can’t be really dated. You might find a few Ottilies of any age here but I suppose more older ones than younger ones. Might be interesting to mention that [name_f]Ottilie[/name_f] is pronounced O-tee-lyeh here.

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I think what you said is interesting as I wouldn’t say that [name_f]Gemma[/name_f] or [name_f]Rhiannon[/name_f] are very Australian or British or American names, they’re just popular or dated in these countries. That concept I would compare to the European [name_f]Elisabeth[/name_f]. It might me popular in Belgium or Denmark (no idea if that’s actually the case) but it’s quite uncommon here. I wouldn’t categorize the name as [name_m]German[/name_m], just a variant that is used in other languages as well.
But [name_f]Heidi[/name_f] at 88. Wow!

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I think [name_m]Wolfgang[/name_m], [name_f]Heidi[/name_f], and [name_f]Gretchen[/name_f] are all great names. I personally have seriously considered [name_m]Wolfgang[/name_m], at least as a middle name. I think maybe we like names like this because they SOUND “[name_m]German[/name_m]” to us. The truth is, of course, that much of Europe is becoming sort of standardized in their naming, swapping names here and there, I guess. But, I think it would be a shame to lose these distinctive names altogether.

And come on, [name_m]Wolfgang[/name_m]'s just a badass name!

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I can speak pretty well to this subject as my husband is named [name_m]Klaus[/name_m] [name_m]Wolfgang[/name_m] (our last name, as I understand, is the word for “terrible” in [name_m]German[/name_m]). We live in southeastern US. His great-grandparents immigrated from Germany in probably…the early 1900’s I would say, and his dad has just always loved the “old-school” [name_m]German[/name_m] names. [name_m]Klaus[/name_m] has always loved and gotten compliments on his name as he grew up in a city that was a home to many [name_m]German[/name_m] immigrants and their families. (Where we live is literally called “Germantown.”) A ton of people comment on how much they like his name and how unique it is. I think it reminds them of their ancestors and the names they see on their family tree.

When looking for a name for our child, [name_m]Klaus[/name_m] wanted something to reflect his heritage. I’m [name_m]German[/name_m] too, but my family didn’t really keep up with the heritage like his did, and I like [name_m]German[/name_m] names, so I agreed. We decided on [name_m]Konrad[/name_m]. As you can see in my signature we also have a lot of [name_m]German[/name_m] names on our list for future children as well. Many of them are family names. We have no family (that we know, at least) in Germany at this time, so the names we use are representative of our heritage/family members of a certain time, not what is popular today. Sure, [name_m]Konrad[/name_m] may end up in Germany where his name might sound dated, but he also may end up in [name_f]India[/name_f], or [name_f]China[/name_f], or Timbuktu! I don’t see that as a factor at all.

Honestly, I don’t really care what people in Germany think about our choices or what is fashionable there, just like I don’t care what people think or what is fashionable in the US. It ultimately comes down to what you love, not what anyone else thinks. We give that advice on this forum all of the time!

For the record, our top names for future children are [name_m]Hugo[/name_m] or [name_u]Kai[/name_u], and [name_f]Wilhelmina[/name_f] , Louisa or [name_f]Frieda[/name_f]. I’d imagine some are dated and maybe some aren’t. Either way, [name_m]German[/name_m] names of all eras are lovely!

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What are some names that are commonly used in Germany today that feel very “[name_m]German[/name_m]” and get minimal use outside Germany/[name_m]German[/name_m]-speaking countries?

Sorry for reposting but my question kind of got lost in the shuffle and I’m quite curious!

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@Opheliaflora I know it surprised me as well but [name_m]German[/name_m] Australians make up 4.5% of our population and is one of the most ethnic names in the top 100 (except for the boys list’s [name_u]Ali[/name_u]) and [name_f]Zahra[/name_f]'s at 108.

I wasn’t saying they were Australian names just names that were formally popular in Australia getting popular overseas.

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This website might be of interest to you. It lists Germany’s Top 500 for 2013:

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This is hard to answer as most of our popular names get some use in Scandinavia as well. But names that feel [name_m]German[/name_m] to me (they’re not necessarily) are: [name_f]Lena[/name_f], [name_m]Lukas[/name_m], [name_m]Leon[/name_m], [name_m]Emil[/name_m], [name_u]Michel[/name_u] (has the ch sound so it would end up being [name_m]Mikel[/name_m] in English), [name_f]Emma[/name_f], [name_f]Lotte[/name_f] / [name_f]Lotta[/name_f], [name_f]Lea[/name_f], [name_f]Johanna[/name_f], [name_f]Jette[/name_f], [name_u]Jule[/name_u], [name_f]Lara[/name_f], [name_f]Ida[/name_f], [name_f]Frieda[/name_f], [name_f]Greta[/name_f], [name_f]Finnja[/name_f], [name_f]Lina[/name_f], [name_u]Luca[/name_u] (I know 7 that’s why), [name_m]Jonas[/name_m], [name_m]Maximilian[/name_m], [name_m]Moritz[/name_m], Niklas, [name_u]Jan[/name_u], [name_m]Anton[/name_m], [name_m]Mats[/name_m], [name_m]Lennard[/name_m], [name_m]Hannes[/name_m], [name_m]Till[/name_m], [name_u]Florian[/name_u], [name_m]Julius[/name_m] & [name_m]Marlon[/name_m].